Massachusetts unveils website and call center for new appliance rebate program

BOSTON – The state has established a website and a toll-free telephone line for a new rebate program for energy-efficient refrigerators and air conditioners.

The program, open to Massachusetts households and scheduled to start on July 28, offers $150 rebate for a refrigerator and $50 for a room air conditioner to replace older models.

The state Department of Energy Resources announced last month it is setting aside $100,000 of the rebate pool for residents of 29 communities affected by the June 1 tornadoes. The department also said people in the 29 communities in central and Western Massachusetts don't have to comply with a requirement for turning in an old model to receive a rebate.

Richard K. Sullivan Jr.

Officials said the rebate effort is aimed at saving energy. The program is a scaled-down version of a similar effort last year.

“This program encourages the purchase of energy saving appliances, which cut long-term household costs and stimulate the local economy,” Richard K. Sullivan Jr. of Westfield, the state's secretary for energy and environmental affairs, said in a statement on Friday.

According to rules of the program, people must first buy a refrigerator or air conditioner on or after July 28 from a registered retailer to become eligible for a rebate.

Rebates are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and will last until funding is gone.

Before buying an item, people can check how much rebate money is available by going online to www.MassEnergyRebates.com, where they can track the status of funds and their own rebate applications. A list of participating retailers can also be found at this site.

If people don't have access to the Internet, they can also call a customer service center at (877) 574-1128. From their stores, retailers can also provide customers with real-time status of funding, state officials said in a press release.

The program, partly financed by a federal stimulus grant and open to Massachusetts households, is expected to fund approximately 20,000 rebates worth $2 million and is estimated to save around 1.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, enough to power 250 homes for a year, state officials said.

Under the program, people fill out a rebate application on the Internet, putting a hold on the requested funds. People who apply via telephone at the service center will receive their completed application in the mail, state officials said.

The signed application, including certification that a refrigerator or room air conditioner has been traded in, must be sent with proof of purchase to Helgeson Enterprises Inc. of Minnesota, hired by the state to administer the program. People can also choose to purchase both a refrigerator and air conditioner. Rebate checks will be sent via the mail.